All the information and photos in cactus art file are now available also in the new the Enciclopedia of Cacti. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.

Large pale pink flowers from mid spring to early summer.
 

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Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

Gymnocalycium damsii var. tucavocense Backeberg nom. inval. (Art. 8.2), Descriptiones Cactacearum Novarum 3: 6,1963

Scientific name: Gymnocalycium anisitsii ssp. damsii (Schumann) G. Charles, CSI 20: 17, 2005

Other Synonyms:

• Gymnocalycium anisitsii (K. Schumann) Britton & Rose 1922) Gymnocalycium damsii (K. Schumann 1903) Britton & Rose
  The Cactaceae 3: 163
• Gymnocalycium damsii var. anisitsii Katalogname, zit. in Schneekloth-Liste
• Gymnocalycium tucavocense Haage SL 1992/93?
• Gymnocalycium anisitsii var. tucavocaense
• Gymnocalycium joossensianum
• Gymnocalycium griseopallidum

Origin: Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay.

Habitat: G. damsii (anisitsii) grows in open areas under the protection of low bushes. It often form large groups and is extremely variable.
 

Description: Solitary or freely offsetting from the areoles:
Stem: Up to 10 cm tall , 8-15 cm in diameter colourful  and highly decorative, with characteristic horizontal clear and dark strips. The clear areas (above the areoles) are pastel-grey-pink while the dark zone (below the areoles) are Deep olive-green to brown-purple.
Spines:  Nearly useless in terms of defence.

Note: Seems to be a pretty variable plant you might get some other names which are effectively the same plant.... and also not sure all plants identified as this are really this.
 

Cultivation: It is a summer grower species that offers no cultivation difficulties.  Water regularly in summer (but do not overwater ) Keep this plant almost dry in winter at a minimum temperature of 0°C, prefer relatively rich substrate and  low pH  compost (if possible not limestone) otherwise growth will stop altogether. Feed with a high potassium fertilizer in summer. It is quite frost resistant if kept dry (hardy to -5° C)
Sun Exposure: Light shade. It may tolerate bright situations  but is likely to suffer from sun scorch or stunted growth if over exposed to direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day in summer. This plant needs plenty of space for its roots, repotting should be done every other year or when the it has outgrown its pot. This species is particularly easy and accommodating, seldom suffer of cryptogamic diseases.
Propagation: Direct sow after last frost. (seldom produces offsets)
Seed Collecting: Permit fruit to ripen.  Fruit must be significantly overripe before harvesting seed; clean and dry seeds.

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars
 of plants belonging to the Gymnocalycium anisitii  complex (This Taxon has lots of synonyms ( like many other cacti) with several controversial varieties and subspecies):

• Gymnocalycium damsii
• Gymnocalycium damsii var. rotundulum
• Gymnocalycium damsii var. tucavocense (G. anisitii ssp. damsii)
• Gymnocalycium damsii var. tucavocense "RED FOM"
• Gymnocalycium cv. KIKKO (G. anisitsii forma mostruosa) 
• Gymnocalycium cv. RED BLUSH (hybrid)

All the information and photos in cactus art file are now available also in the new the Enciclopedia of Cacti. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.